Red Ferrari
by StephLopez
Summary: AU: Percy and Annabeth have differing lives and end up finding themselves stuck on a path they can't run away from. This is a story of revenge, love, and pain. Another Romeo and Juliet are on its way. Just not the way you think it will turn out to be. ;) Rated T
1. Intro

Red Ferrari

Chapter 1: Red Ferrari

_Underneath the surface _

_There's so much you need to know _

_And you might feel like you're drowning _

_But that's what I need to let go_

_Demi Lovato, Got Dynamite_

Prologue

Annabeth

There are many things in which I have had trouble understanding. For example, when I was younger, I would have nightmares of spiders tormenting me. My father used to walk in and hug me until I stopped crying. Then, one day, my step-mother told him to stop comforting, or else I would never get over it. That method obviously didn't work since I still have nightmares about those horrid creatures. From that point on, I despised her so much; I refused to talk to her for a year. Yet, my father still loved her. How could he love someone who didn't love his own daughter? It wasn't until I left at 18 that I finally understood. Love isn't real. Love is an illusion, a drug to keep you away from everything, except that one person. Since people tell me to stay away from drugs, I guess I should stay away from love, too.

Percy

My life is pretty messed up. Honestly, I would rather be raised by cats than live another year with my stepfather Gabe. But thank goodness that I am now 18, ready for college. Unlike me, my mother isn't so lucky. My biological father abandoned us when I was just one year old. Then, my mother married some bastard who thinks constant abuse is the right way to discipline someone. For a while, I actually thought it was _normal _to be hit every day. And that life wouldn't get better. Yet, my mother didn't leave him until I turned 18 a few weeks ago. When I met my girlfriend, Rachel, I realized that life is black and white. No grey. I realized love categorized itself as that "grey" and that besides everything bad, love continues. Just like my mom continued to stand up for me when Gabe would torment us, she did it so I could have a house to be raised up in.

Summary

Two young adults with difficult lives encounter each other at a street race. They put their own lives at risk by being behind the wheel. This is a story of revenge, love, and pain. Another Romeo and Juliet are on its way. Just not the way you think it will turn out to be. ;)

StephLopez

_Please review your thoughts on what it might be about or if you just need to speak._

**Disclaimer: All rights to Rick Riordan.**


	2. 1989 Chevrolet Camaro

Red Ferrari

Chapter 2: 1989 Chevrolet Camaro

_Seems like only yesterday_

_Life belong to runaways_

_Nothing here to see, no looking back_

_Every sound monotone_

_Every color monochrome_

_Life begin to fade into the black_

_Foo Fighters, Come Alive_

Annabeth

_My first drag race ever was behind the wheel of a 1989 Chevrolet Camaro. Not exactly state of the art, but it was beautiful to me. On my tenth birthday, I ran away. I ran until my breaths turned shallow and slow. I ran until I felt peace. I ran into a man who took care of me when everyone else turned their back on me. _

_Runaway Episode: July 12, 2002_

December 18, 2010

"Annie!"

I rolled my eyes and dragged myself out of bed. My first thought: I stink. The race from last night was too intense for me that I just crashed unto my bed. My yawning was interrupted by my sister, Thalia Grace. Well, she is my sister from a different mother.

"Wake up, Annie. Chiron wants to speak with you." Thalia threw clothes at me and a water bottle. I glared at her and quickly got dressed. I guess I should tell you by now that I refuse to speak.

Chiron Blood is the leader of the group I am a part of. You see, when I ran away, I ran into him.

_July 12, 2002_

"I hate her." I muttered over and over again as I ran past stores and people giving me weird looks. I decided to head into the Projects, the bad side of town. There, no one would look for me. After all, it's not like Susan, my step mother, or my father, Frederick, would notice. They were too busy with their lives to care about me.

My feet seemed to be headed into their own direction. I had no idea where I would end up at. I passed by stores whose signs were halfway readable. There were homeless people on almost every corner, asking for money from me. Come on, how can a ten year old have money? It's not like I'm rich. Anyway, I couldn't run anymore and ended up stopping outside a boxing gym.

I leaned against the wall and started to cry. I just let my tears out, all my anger and frustration. Then, Chiron came out. He wasn't on a wheel chair at that time. He was angrily speaking on the phone. His husky voice made me jump. Being a smart child, I understood the profanity. That was when I realized where I was.

Yep. More tears.

The forty something year old man saw me and sent me a glare. He hanged up his phone and said, "Beat it, kid."

I froze. "I-I"

He growled at me. "Go home. Leave. Get the fudge out." (Yes, he said something else but I mentally blocked the word out).

I wiped my eyes and stood my ground. "But I have no home."

His eyes, surprisingly, softened. "Okay, okay, what's your name, Blondie?"

I stomped my foot and crossed my arms. "First of all, my name is not Blondie, and I am not allowed to talk to strangers!"

He laughed. "Whoa! Okay, what's your name?"

I looked down at my feet and took a step away. "Annabeth."

He smiled, his temper fading away. "All right, Annabeth, I need to get you home." He grabbed my hand and I pulled away. He raised his eyebrows. I stuck up my nose and said, "Your hands are sweaty."

"Well, Miss Annabeth, learn your manners. I'm Chiron." I softened my glare and shook his hand. For the first time, I felt like I was _noticed. _A few minutes later, Chiron called the police (I later learned that his brother was a Detective). They took me home. To my "surprise", _they_ didn't notice I was gone for three hours. I refused to speak since then.

My thoughts settled on the beautiful piece of machinery across from me. My _1989 Chevrolet Camaro _gleamed from this distance. _We will beat those Roman Jupiters. _

December 18, 2010 (a.k.a. back to the present)

"All right, people! Last night was a blast. I expect more from you, though." Chiron wheeled himself to the front of the gym. I was leaning against the main entrance, eating some chips. Thalia with her ever punk look, clapped. May I even she was the only one clapping?

Chiron chuckled. "Our next race will be in one month. I expect better performance from all of you." Murmurs swept the room of fifteen people; my name amongst them.

Nico Di Angelo, a replica of Thalia, but without the startling blue eyes and silver jacket, spoke up. "Let me guess, you expect Annie to win again, correct?"

Chiron stared at him. "Is that a challenge, Di Angelo?"

We all laughed at Nico's red face. Trust me, red isn't a good color on him. "Um, well, no, maybe, um, I don't know!"

Leo Valdez, our mechanic, wrapped his arm around me. "What? No one here could beat our Blondie." I jabbed him in his stomach. "Ouch, sweetheart!"

Thalia smirked. "Don't let Calypso hear that."

The majority started cracking up. Calypso Ogyia, Leo's almost-girlfriend, was drop dead gorgeous. Every guy in our team adored her as if she were a goddess. Don't get me wrong, Calypso is a great friend. I have been told I'm pretty, too, but unlike her, I haven't had an "official" boyfriend, yet.

"Greeks!" Chiron called. Our team name was 'Bloody Greeks'. Our archenemies constantly referred to us like that. So, we decided to name ourselves that to piss them off. "Today you'll have a break. Don't fudging get yourselves in jail. Again."

I started cracking up. About a month ago, everyone except me got sent to jail. Apparently, cops aren't fond of street racing.

Perseus Jackson a.k.a. Percy

December 18, 2010

"TOUCHDOWN!" I winced as every guy friend of mine jumped up and bumped chests. I wasn't in a mood for celebrating much. I received a rejected letter. Again. The Free Application For Student Aid, or FAFSA, didn't want to help me. Two weeks ago, I discovered that my father was in fact, alive, and very rich. Worse part? My sweet mother knew! Well, she knew a year earlier than me but still, I would have liked to know.

"Perce! Come on, don't get upset. It's just a football game." Rachel Elizabeth Dare, a good friend of mine, hugged me from behind. I faintly smiled. For years I had a huge crush on Rachel. We dated for a while, but it didn't work out well.

"Just a football game?" Jason Grace, my cousin (I also found out two weeks ago), started laughing. "Red, just because this isn't an art movie, doesn't mean it isn't important!"

Rachel, or Red, pouted. "Percy, Jason is being mean."

I laughed. "Come on, _Sparky, _don't be like that."

Travis Stoll, an old friend of mine from high school, cracked up. "Dude! Piper is so going to kill you for calling her boyfriend like that." One fact: Piper Mclean, yes THE MCLEAN, was absolutely gorgeous. Yes, a little young for me, but not for my bro Jason. Tomorrow would be their two year anniversary.

Jason blushed a deep red. "Shut up, Stoll."

We all laughed and teased him about 'Jiper', or their ship name given by our friend, Silena Beauregard. Another good looking friend of mine. I would date her, but her over used terms of the words 'pink', 'fashion', and 'love' were too much for me. Also, she is like a sister to me. So, I take that back. I wouldn't date her. I remember the time she gave me nasty chocolate for Rachel. I genuinely trusted her.

Okay, I have ADHD. I tend to go off topic.

"Yo! What are we going to eat?" Connor Stoll, brother of Travis, asked. I shrugged my shoulders. We were over my new apartment. It was pretty decent, with one kitchen, a living room, two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a balcony overlooking the city of New York.

Through the windows, I could see 'Olympus Industries'. Nowadays known as my father's business empire. He offered me a job but I _kindly _denied. Honestly, I could use the money to pay for my college tuition. If I accept his "donation", I would be starting in the spring at New York University (NYU).

Rachel grabbed my wallet and pulled out a piece of paper. "Well, Percy has a coupon for Pizza Hut. We will save about five dollars." The guys shrugged and started gathering their things. Piper came out of the bathroom and asked where we were going. I zoned out and thought about the day my mother married Gabe Ugliano.

_August 01, 1998_

"Mommy! My cookies are not blue." Tears poured down my eight year old face as the ugliest man alive looked down at me. His face was a replica of a seal and he smelled like moldy garlic pizza wrapped in gym shorts. Since then, I called him 'Smelly Gabe'.

My mother, Sally Jackson, tensely smiled. Our hands were entwined together. "Percy, please be nice."

Gabe grunted. "He better be grateful for receiving something."

I stared up at him and narrowed my eyes. I tugged on my mom's sleeve and whispered, "He looks mean, Mommy."

My mother chuckled and pulled me closer to her. "I am sorry, Gabe. He had a rough night. He just understood the meaning of moving."

He smiled and for a second he looked decent. "It is all right, Sally, he is just a kid." Forget it; go back to ugly seal face. Now, I have nothing against seals. I love the ocean, but this guy was just disgusting.

My mother laughed and dragged me behind her as we got into his _1989 Chevrolet Camaro. _

December 18, 2010 (present)

Rachel's laugh brought me out of my flashback. Jason looked even redder if possible. I grinned and asked, "What'd I miss?"

Piper giggled and grabbed Jason's hand. "I'll drive."

"NO!" We all yelled at once. Piper looked shocked.

"What? Why?"

Jason grabbed her arms. "Baby, last time we were surrounded by paparazzi for five hours. Just because some people saw your face, we missed our movie and dinner." Jason used to street race for a year, until he got into an accident and hurt his head multiple times with a brick. The story is yet unbelievable. He has refused to drive since then.

Piper pouted and then sighed. "Fine. But Percy cannot drive."

I choked. "Excuse me?"

Connor nodded. "I want to live to see the next game."

Travis nodded. "Yeah, man. You drive worse than my grandmother!"

Everyone laughed and exited my apartment. I followed with a small grin on my face. Despite my messed up life, I was glad I had close friends.

StephLopez

**Hey guys! So, this is officially the beginning of the story! I would love to hear your opinions! Please review, or follow, or PM! What do you guys think of the Rachel and Percy thing? Make it happen again or straight into Percabeth?**

**Disclaimer: All rights to Rick Riordan.**


	3. The Flying Pizza

Red Ferrari

**Author's Note: Hey, guys! Thanks for reading and following and favoriting! But come on… at least three reviews? Pretty please? Anyway, the chapter will be written in third pov from now on and only flashbacks will be in first pov. Enjoy chapter 3! (:**

Chapter 3: The Flying Pizza

_We gladiate but I guess we're really fighting ourselves_

_Roughing up our minds so we're ready when the kill time comes_

_Wide awake in bed, words in my brain,_

_"Secretly you love this do you even wanna go free?"_

_Let me in the ring, I'll show you what that big word means_

_Lorde, Glory and Gore_

**Centered on Annabeth**

December 18, 2010 (same day as Bloody Greeks Meeting)

Annabeth was exhausted for some unknown reason. Her mind was screaming 'SLEEP NOW', but of course, she couldn't sleep in. Thalia dragged her along to get something to eat. Annabeth followed her along the streets of Manhattan. The buildings intrigued her, for she had a love for architecture. She could see the Empire State Building in all its glory peeking from behind a few buildings. She slightly smiled. Despite her unwanted choice of not speaking, she wanted to scream to Thalia: 'How about lunch in the Empire State?' Of course, that was not an option.

Thalia bumped her shoulder. "I was thinking about some pizza or maybe some Italian food. No, I'm actually craving some Chinese food right now."

Annabeth shook her head. _Of course, Thals, of course._

As Thalia continued to rant about the millions of possibilities of restaurants in Manhattan, Annabeth recalled the day Leo Valdez somehow found out her passion for architecture, a couple months earlier.

_February 26, 2010 Annabeth_

Every passing minute led to more frustration. You see, I lost a blue folder that had every blueprint I ever created. It included notes and doodles of different buildings. I checked everywhere in the apartment Thalia and I shared. I decided to go to the garage, hoping to find it there. As soon as I unlocked the doors (I have the master key), I heard someone yelling.

"_Mierda!"_ I frowned as I recognized Leo's voice. I slowly closed the doors and walked towards the back of the shop, where light was seeping through to the main room. In reality, the main room was just filled with cars hoisted up in the air and tools everywhere on the floor. Seriously, when will this place ever be clean? Sounds of metal clashing on the floor and someone screeching made me jump. It was mostly the falling metal not the girly scream. I grabbed a nearby wrench and walked forward. Hopefully it was just Leo. Before I could gather enough courage to open the door, someone came out in a rush. Then, they tripped.

"OW!" Leo screamed as he clutched his leg. He didn't realize me standing there. I held in a laugh and instead cleared my throat.

"Ah!" He threw a piece of scrap metal at me. I dodged it and dropped my wrench. _Leo, it's just me._

"Annabeth?" He frowned and slowly stood up. "Is that you?" He winced in pain but remained standing.

I came out of the shadows and stepped closer to the light so he could see me. I grinned and waved.

"Thank God, it's you!" He picked up some papers on the floor and I realized that they were my blueprints. "You're lucky I didn't go all ninja on you!"

I snorted. _Yeah, right. _

He pointed at me. "I'm telling you, I know how to defend myself pretty well. I'm the Super-sized _McShizzle_!"

I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow. _Ha-ha, sure, Leo. _

Leo shrugged and asked, "So, what are you doing here? Maybe looking for these…?"

I glared at him as he rose up the blueprints. He chuckled. "Annie, Annie, Annie,"

I picked up my wrench again. "Whoa, calm down, chill! I'll give them to you, if you speak." I froze. And shook my head. That's when I noticed something peeking out from his pocket. A ring. I smirked and pointed to my ring finger.

He blushed and nervously chuckled as he 'discreetly' placed the ring back inside his pocket. "Annie, I didn't know you felt that way towards me." I spun my wrench. "Okay! I'll speak! It's for Reyna."

I smiled. _Aw! Annabeth, your girly is showing. _He turned even redder if possible and nervously passed his hand through his hair. "Yeah, about time I asked, huh?"

I nodded. Reyna and Leo have been dating for three years and had a love/hate relationship. They met each other when they were 15, at Leo's first race. This year would be their 4th year anniversary. They were adorable.

Leo awkwardly coughed. "Well, here you go, Annabeth. If you need help with some calculations or I dunno, want to actually build one, I'm willing to help." He grinned at me as we traded blueprints for wrench. I nodded. _Geez, Leo, thanks._

I tapped 'Please, don't tell' in Morse code on a nearby table. He nodded. "I understand, same here,"

I nodded. Leo was the only person I could really communicate well with. We both knew Morse code so it helped in meetings, a lot. I walked away, a light smile on my face. I got in my Camaro and drove away, ignoring the pain I felt for not being as lucky as Leo. Love was not something that could be easily achieved.

December 18, 2010 (present again)

"Or maybe we can just get some pizza." Thalia stated. Annabeth stared at her with confusion written all over her face. A New Yorker bumped into her and Thalia cursed him out. Annabeth snorted. _Yep, Thals, because cursing always works._

"Fine, we'll get pizza, but you're paying." Annabeth snorted. Thalia acted as if she wasn't a multi-billionaire. Her father was actually head CEO of Olympus Industries, but she cut off almost all connection to him. Almost.

They walked to the nearest Pizza Hut, as Thalia ranted about Leo's over exaggerated pickup lines. "I still don't understand how he got close to Reyna, honestly." Annabeth gave her a pointed look. "Fine, fine, I'm sorry, but he did act out of line." The blonde shook her head. 'Leyna' broke up a month after the proposal. Supposedly, Leo was too into his machines to pay any attention to Reyna as Reyna was involved in her work.

"Welcome!" A nice lady with blonde hair smiled at them as they walked in. Only two groups of people were inside. Thalia nodded and said, "We'll have one large pizza to go, please." The lady named Melissa wrote down their order. Annabeth sat down at a booth in the back as another group walked in.

Annabeth kept her eyes out on the group. One of the guys stood up and went to order the pizza. He was tall and had blonde hair. He actually looked like one of those Abercrombie models. As he passed by, Annabeth was startled to see the name 'Grace' on the back of his jacket. _Just a coincidence, maybe, probably, okay maybe not._

Annabeth was even more startled by Thalia because she dropped the pizza right in front of her. "Seriously? I ordered it to go!"

Annabeth shrugged. She nodded and sat down. "Okay, so I know you have a huge dislike with seafood, but not olives!" Annabeth smiled at the olives on half the side of the pizza. Only extra cheese was on the other half. Thalia grabbed a piece. "So, whacha want to talk about?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. _Very funny, Thals._

She grinned, a spark in her eyes. Even Thalia didn't know the reason for Annabeth's silence. "So, are you ready for the next race?" Annabeth ate her pizza and ignored her question. She honestly didn't want to talk about it. It was something that she pushed all the way back in her mind.

Thalia threw a piece of pizza at her. She ate it. "Annabeth! Come on, how can you not be ready? I know that you will kick everyone's ass, including mine."

Annabeth smirked. _Of, course, I will. _

She rolled her eyes. "You know, this is why we are insulted so much by those Jupiter Romans. You're too nice to not participate in every race." She said this part a bit loud, since her mouth was filled with pizza. Annabeth noticed some people from the other booth tense up. She nodded at Thalia.

"What?" She looked back. Annabeth ducked her head. _Seriously, Thals? Ever heard of subtlety!_

She smirked. "I recognize two of them actually." _Yeah, what about that blonde guy?_ "I think the blonde guy was the one who got into that accident last year."

Annabeth scrunched up her face as she tried to remember his name. Jason. In her thinking, she didn't realize that one of them was staring at her. He had jet black hair and sea green eyes. She was the first to break their gaze and took out a pen and paper.

Jason. His name is Jason. She passed it to Thalia. She read it. "Oh, yeah! At least he looks okay, now."

His last name is Grace.

Thalia choked. Annabeth stood up and dragged her up. She couldn't help her, for she kept waving her arms around. Then, one of the workers called for help. Melissa, the worker, glared at Annabeth. She portrayed a look of panic as she watched Thalia choke. Then, someone pushed past Annabeth and grabbed Thalia. Before anyone could blink, a piece of pizza flew straight into Melissa's chest.

"That's what you get for glaring at my best friend." Thalia gasped and drank her soda. Her savior was none other than the green-eyed Roman. He started to step away when Thalia said, "Hey, wait. Thanks for saving my life."

He nodded. "Be careful next time." His gaze crossed Annabeth's and for a moment, they both felt a spark.

"Percy!" A girl with frizzy red hair walked up to him._ Well, then._ She was followed by Jason.

Thalia turned quickly turned around and grabbed the pizza box. "Annie, come on, let's go!" Annabeth frowned as Thalia grabbed their stuff. _Annie? Seriously? Thals! I'm not five!_

The green-eyed guy called them. "Hey, wait up!"

Thalia pushed her to the front door. "Thanks for saving my life, goodbye, see you never again!"

**Centered on Percy**

December 18, 2010 (as soon as they entered Pizza Hut)

"How about you pay, huh Rachel?" Connor asked Rachel as they walked inside the pizza place. Percy slightly smiled. Rachel's father was a very, very, very wealthy man. He actually was a few billion dollars below Olympus Industries annual company income.

Rachel grinned. "Okay, this one is on me, but you're paying for the movie."

Connor shrieked. As the group laughed, Percy couldn't help but notice a head of blonde curls sitting alone at a booth. He was on the other side of their small group circle, so the blonde haired girl couldn't see Percy very well. He took a look around the place and noticed two other groups of two, and a girl ordering up at the front. Both she and the blonde looked very familiar.

"Percy, are you all right?" Piper asked as they sat down. Percy took a seat across from her, next to Rachel. With his back facing the wall, he had a perfect view of the blonde.

"Yeah, just hungry," Piper frowned at him, like she didn't believe him. _Great, know she thinks I am hiding something from her. _Piper and Percy developed a good brotherly/sisterly relationship after Jason suffered from the accident a year ago.

"I'll go order." Jason stood up and walked away.

Being Percy, he zoned out of the conversation after Jason left. Instead, his attention diverted to the pretty blonde. _Something about her… the girl who is ordering looks more familiar._ He nudged Rachel.

"Hey, doesn't she look familiar?"

Rachel scrunched up her eyebrows. _She looks cute. Shut up, me. _"Yeah, actually, she does. Pipes, do you recognize the black haired girl?"

Piper nodded as she played with her braids. "She is Thalia, a —"

""You know… insulted… Jupiter Romans. You're too nice … race."

We all tensed up at Thalia's words. Connor spoke first. "So, I guess that's why they're recognizable."

Jason spoke. Percy didn't even notice him come back. _Oops._ "They're the Bloody Greeks. I used to race against the blonde a lot. I think her name is Annabelle or something like that. She always won." Percy "accidently" started to stare at her again and she caught him. Her face flushed and she looked away. Percy noticed her grab something out of her purse.

Travis smirked. "Ha! I remember when she would always beat you." Out of all of them, only Rachel and Percy didn't race. Rachel was more into the art of theatre instead of the art of racing. Percy just couldn't drive well.

Jason pouted. "She's good!"

Piper ruffled his hair. "It's okay, Sparky." The guys snickered at her comment.

Percy was about to reply when 'Annabelle' abruptly stood up. Thalia started choking. Being the kind person he is, he immediately stood up and walked over to them_. I wonder why Annabelle didn't ask for help. _He softly pushed Annabelle aside and helped Thalia. _Good thing I took that 'Life Saving' class in high school._

Thalia spit out her pizza as Percy let her go. It landed on the worker's shirt. "That's what you get for glaring at my best friend." There were few laughs at her comment.

Annabelle looked angry for a second but it turned to a more stoic look. Percy took that as his chance to walk away,

"Hey, wait. Thanks for saving my life." Percy nodded at Thalia, not caring if she was a Bloody Greek.

"Be careful next time." Annabelle looked at him and their eyes crossed paths once again.

"Percy!" Rachel walked up to him, a look of obvious concern for him.

"It's all good." He reassured her.

"Annie, come on, let's go!"

"Hey, wait up!" Percy tried calling out to them but Thalia was already dragging Annabelle away.

Thalia pushed Annabelle out the door, calling out, "Thanks for saving my life, goodbye, see you never again!"

Jason clapped him on the shoulder. "Good job, dude."

Rachel grabbed his arm. "Come on, some people are just rude."

December 23, 2010 (5 days after Pizza Hut)

"That would be one hundred forty nine dollars, sir." Percy almost choked. He was at Macy's doing some late Christmas shopping. The shopping was not going very well…

"Excuse me?"

The cashier looked blankly at him. "Cash or credit?"

_Aw man. _He sacrificed his credit card. "Sir, you're poor." _WHAT?!_

"What?" Percy stared at her with big green eyes, he looked like a fish as his mouth opened and closed.

She sighed. "I said, 'you're poor'. You'll need to pay in cash, or leave."

He gaped at her. "But—"

"No buts. Pay or leave." Percy took out his wallet and realized he only had five dollars. _Great. I just need about oh, $144!_

He nervously chuckled. "Do you have layaway?"

The cashier glared at him. "Next!"

"No, wait!"

A woman in her early twenties tapped him on the shoulder. He tried his best to not drool. Her caramel hair was a natural type of perfect, falling in all the right places. She had almond shaped eyes and they were a warm brown. She smiled. "Is everything all right?"

The cashier sighed. "Do not worry. He was just leaving."

Percy glared at her. The woman placed her stuff on the counter. The cashier raised an eyebrow and scanned the times. Percy was about to speak but the woman beat him to it.

"Swipe mine," The woman said with a glint in her eyes as she handed over her credit card.

The cashier did so.

"No, no, you don't have to."

She smiled. "It's Christmas season. Of course I have to."

The cashier handed Percy their bags. "Leave."

The nice young lady frowned. "Merry Christmas, to you, too,"

Percy immediately started to protest. "I am sorry for all of this."

The lady laughed as they walked outside the store. Her laugh was carefree. "If you buy me coffee, I will be grateful for eternity."

Percy goofily grinned. "Coffee it is! I am Percy Jackson by the way."

She smiled. "I am Calypso Titan."

December 23, 2010 (one hour after the not-date with Calypso)

"Bro, are you okay? You look as red as a tomato." Jason told Percy as Percy walked in Jason's apartment.

Percy blushed even more if possible. _Great, now Jason will start to ask questions. _Percy shook his head. "Just the cold,"

"Sure, and I am half god_._"

"Shut up, _Sparky._"

Jason blushed. "When you get a girlfriend, I'll be sure to tease you by the nick-name she'll give you."

Percy glared at him. A few glares later, both boys immediately started to play the Xbox. Percy dropped off his bags next to Jason's Christmas tree. Jason's apartment was the biggest, so they would celebrate Christmas there this year.

"Aren't you supposed to wrap the gifts?"

"No, Jason, I'll just leave them there with the receipt and everything."

"Oh, shut up, Perce."

Silence.

"What's her name?"

Percy glanced at him. "W-what are you talking about?"

Jason used his sniper to kill another player. They were playing Black Ops II. "The girl," Thanks to his girlfriend, Piper, he was got good at reading people.

"What girl?"

Jason snickered. "The one you just went out with."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Jason grinned. "Fine, but Piper will convince you as soon as she gets home."

Percy nervously laughed. "You wouldn't."

"I would."

_Okay, man up and tell him. _"Her name is Calypso."

"Like the Greek goddess?"

"Yep,"

Silence.

"By any chance is her last name Titan?"

_Wait- he knows her? _"Maybe,"

Jason paused the game. "Dude, you have to stay away from her." He looked so serious, as if he was talking about the fate of the world.

Percy frowned. Calypso seemed like such a nice person. Why would Jason want him away from her? "Why?"

"Just trust me on this one, Perce."

"No, tell me why and how you know her."

Jason sighed. "She is the one who got me in into racing." Percy stayed quiet. _But… but… no, it can't be. _"I was 16 when I first met her. She flirted with me and her being two years older, I fell for her. She told me that I was a good candidate for an upcoming race tournament. At first, I thought she was crazy. But then I went to see a race.

"Calypso took this as her chance to drag me into the art of racing. As you know, I raced for only one year. When I got into the accident, I found out that her father was the one who got me into that accident. Percy, you cannot tell anybody. She is from a dangerous family and only you know the truth. Well, you and someone else, but that's not the point.

"The point is that you need to stay away from her. I do not want you to suffer like I did. The accident almost left me paralyzed from the waist down! The Titans are not a family that you should be involved with in any way."

"Oh,"

Jason shook his head. "Bro, I trust you, and we care for each other as brothers. Well, now we are officially cousins, but you get it."

Percy was deep in thought. He was angry at Jason for keeping his accident a secret, angry at whoever else knew, and angry at himself. In the end, he just nodded, and faked a smile. "Well, come on, we need to beat the other team."

Jason fist bumped him. "Piper should come home soon, so let's hurry!"

**Another A/N! So, four followers! Does that mean at least three reviews? Pretty please? I want to know if I am doing a good job or if I am lacking anything and I would love to hear your opinions and ideas! Oh! Happy New Year! Yes, I am late oops, sorry! So according to this lovely site, I have had at least 32 visitors! WOOP WOOP! And continuous for the chapters, too!**

**Also, please tell me which POV you're excited to hear from. Excluding Frank, Hazel, Luke, any of the gods, Sally, and Paul. I Know PERCABETH isn't here yet, and am I making Percy too… playboyish? What do guys think of Jason's ahem, past? darn it, too many questions. **

**PLEASE REVIEW/FOLLOW/FAVORITE**

**StephLopez**


	4. Heights and Chinese Food

Red Ferrari

**Author's Note: Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews and favorites and follows and traffic views! I hope my story and writing skills don't suck completely. This chapter is more (I guess) related to other characters and a sort of cliffhanger…? Don't worry, I'll update every Friday, Monday, and Wednesday. **

**To CatsRCute: Thank you so much for reviewing! *COOKIES***

Chapter 4: Heights and Chinese Food

_Looking back at sunsets on the east side_

_We lost track of the time_

_Dreams aren't what they used to be_

_Some things slide by so carelessly_

_The Killers, Smile Like You Mean It_

Note: Chapter 2 was edited and now it instead says:

"Wake up, Annie. Chiron wants to speak with you." Thalia threw clothes at me and a water bottle. I glared at her and quickly got dressed. I guess I should tell you by now that I refuse to speak. The last part about her being mute since her runaway scene has now been taken away for plot details. Sorry, guys!

**Centered on Leo Valdez**

Sure, Leo had it all. The money (being a mechanic for illegal races actually pays off) (I am not encouraging you guys to join in any illegal activity!) and the rockin' ability to travel wherever he wanted (thanks to the money), and meet hot girls. Oh wait, the last part was complicated. Definitely complicated. When he was just a child, Leo lost his mother to a fire in her mechanic shop. How does this tie to girls? Well, Leo went from foster home to foster home. One day, in New York, he ran away from his eighth foster home and found Chiron's gym. Of course, Leo thought it meant nothing, until Chiron took him under his wing. Leo was wary of his new guardian. When he found out about Chiron's secret race team, he was very, very intrigued.

Almost immediately he signed up to be their mechanic. At the age of 15 he participated in his first race. Somehow, it was in Puerto Rico. At first, Leo was confused. How could a band of just teens, _teen misfits, _go to a race in freakin' PR?! Chiron said a simple answer: The boss said so.

So yeah, Leo was still wary of Chiron's misfit team. This didn't stop him from going, and to fate, meet the love of his life.

March 2008, Location: Puerto Rico

"And no goofing around, at all." Annabeth glared at every guy in our team, including Thalia. I gulped. "Leo, please, do not mess with anything!" I swear that this blonde will one day murder me for just staring at her!

Thalia grinned and wrapped her arm around Annabeth's shoulders. "Come on, Annie, don't be like this! It is the poor kid's first race."

Annabeth huffed and crossed her arms. "He isn't officially participating."

Luke Castellan, Annabeth's boyfriend, smiled. "The mechanic is as important as the racer."

I jumped out of my seat. "The McShizzle is back, baby!"

Everyone cracked up, except Annabeth who managed a small smile. We were aboard a private jet, paid by the Boss, whoever that was. The Bloody Greeks consisted of:

Annabeth, Thalia, Luke, Nico: racers

Jake, Me: Mechanics

Will Solace: doctor (accidents can and do happen)

Calypso: manager (she got us all our races, but we never saw her before that race)

Chiron: Leader, duh

Nico abruptly stood up and went into the bathroom. Thalia shook her head. She and Nico were cousins. "He has a thing for planes."

Annabeth sat across from her boyfriend. _Huh, they usually sit together_. "Aren't you afraid of heights as well?"

Thalia paled. "Why did you mention it?" Her face turned a weird shade of yellow and I resisted the urge to laugh at her.

Before I could comment, Jake walked over to me. "Listen, Leo, I know you're one of the youngest here," Cue eye roll. "But this is some serious stuff, okay? Now, Chiron told me to give you your check afterwards, but I can tell you how much it will be." Check? "Want to know?"

"Heck, yeah!"

Jake smirked. "Twenty thousand, I know its low—"

"WHAT? NO, NO, IT IS PERFECT!"

Will joined us. "Ah, you found out your cash."

Jake laughed. "Yes, he somehow thinks it's enough."

I raised my eyebrows. "Well, how much do you get paid?"

Jake shrugged his shoulders. "Three-fourths of a million, on a good day,"

I was pretty sure my mouth was wide open. Will laughed. "It's okay, Leo, you'll get used to it."

Annabeth walked over. Despite us being around the same age, she looked to be about 21, not 16. Luke, her boyfriend, was 18. "What are you guys talking about?"

Luke wrapped his arm around her waist. _Is she glaring at him? _Jake grinned. "Cash,"

Annabeth smirked and pushed Luke away as she sat next to me. _What is happening here?_ "Luke, how much do I make?"

Luke shook his head. Annabeth was the youngest to start racing, therefore the most experienced and probably the richest. I heard she was mute before she dated Luke, her best friend since she was 12 and one year boyfriend. "At least two million on a good day," I noticed a bit of envy in his voice. _Eh, not possible._

"WHAT?!" Everyone cracked up at my comment. "Aw, why do I get just twenty thousand?"

The others headed back to their seat as Nico walked in. "What? He gets 20,000? Aw! Why am I getting less?"

Thalia kicked up her legs on top of the table, her skin tone looking more normal-ish. "Because, Death Breath, unlike you, he fixes cars, not destroy them."

Nico pouted. "Not fair!"

I smirked. "Glad to know I make more than you!"

Nico glared at me. "Shut up, Leo. Be glad you were even invited on this race."

"Hey! What does that mean?"

Annabeth glanced at me. "Nico, shut up, leave Leo alone."

I frowned. Before I could ask what they were hiding from me, the pilot said: "Prepare for landing, fasten your seatbelts."

_Line Break_

"Welcome to Puerto Rico!" A lady with a thick Spanish accent greeted us as we walked down the stairs of the plane.

I whistled. "Wow, this is what being rich feels like."

Thalia smirked. "No, Leo, this is what being _royalty _feels like."

I scrunched up my eyebrows. "Thalia, what do you—"

"Oh, the Becketts are here!" After being rudely interrupted by someone, my gaze landed on a tall, Puerto Rican babe, with long black hair. Her head was held high and she had a powerful aura that just demanded all attention. I felt like kneeling down. _Phew, is it always this hot in PR?_

Nico elbowed me. "Focus, Valdez."

Thalia stepped forward and shook hand with the Goddess. "Hylla Ramirez-Arellano, it has been awhile." _Whoa, Thalia Grace being nice?_

I leaned forward. "Hey, Leo Valdez, here!"

Annabeth laughed, but I knew it was a silent threat. "Don't mind him, Hylla, he is a newbie."

"Hey!" Nico elbowed me again.

Hylla, the Goddess, glanced at me. "Bloody Greeks, follow me, Calypso sends her regards."

Will snorted. "Like that's news,"

Luke was the first to walk after her. Thalia pulled my ear, "OW!"

"You are here to fix things, not flirt with girls!"

I rubbed my ear. "Geez, Thalia, chill, I was just playing!"

Thalia shook her head. "You don't understand. Chiron practically begged for us to come here. Hylla is practically the Boss here in Puerto Rico, and she hates men. She controls the races south of the States. Leo, do not cross her, or the Bloody Greeks will no longer race out of the States."

I frowned, realizing that Hylla had led us into a limo. I got in last, wondering how rich the Bloody Greeks were. _Why are they still in this business then?_

December 23, 2010 (back to the "present")

_Last POV (Percy)…_

"_The Titans are not a family that you should be involved with in any way."_

_Jason fist bumped him. "Piper should come home soon, so let's hurry!"_

**Centered on Piper McLean**

Around the Same Time

Piper was exhausted. With all the Christmas shopping, she was sure her wallet was E-M-P-T-Y. She sighed as she massaged her temples. _Just one more hour and you'll be home… with your bed and food will be there too, oh and Jason._

Hazel poked her. Piper looked at her and faintly smiled. "I am okay, Hazel."

Hazel did not look convinced. She sat down next to Piper; they were in the food court of the mall. Hazel was the youngest out of the gang. Still in high school, she dates Frank who is approximately about 2 years older than her.

Hazel leaned forward and squeezed Piper's shoulder. "Don't stress, Piper. Everything will turn out okay." Her golden eyes showed comfort and re-assurance.

Piper smiled. "Yeah, you're right. It's Christmas season."

Hazel nodded and sipped her chocolate cup. "Hmm, this chocolate is really good."

Piper stood up. "My coffee is better."

Hazel pouted. "Aw, why are you leaving?"

Piper gathered her things as she told Hazel, "I have to get to the apartment and wrap the presents. Don't you have a project to finish?"

Hazel grimaced. "Ugh, don't remind me, please."

Piper gave her a side hug. "Don't worry, Hazel, you're almost done with high school." The junior stared at her blankly.

"Piper, I have this year and one more to go!"

Piper laughed. "Bye, Hazel!"

As Piper walked away, she thought about her mother, who wouldn't stop calling her. _I knew I shouldn't have contacted her. _Before Piper reached her car, someone came behind her and put their hand over her mouth. Piper freaked and bit it.

"Ow!" She turned around and was ready to slap her attacker when she realized it was covered in gold and the voice belonged to someone she knew.

"Rachel?" Piper stepped away, her bag in her right hand, ready to slap the Golden person if necessary.

"Yes! It's me, don't hit me." Rachel gripped her hand as she massaged it. Piper wanted to laugh out of relief, but also yell at her. Rachel was completely painted gold. Her face, her hair, her clothes – everything. _She looks like she's been touched by King Midas._

Piper shook her head. "Rachel, why are you covered in gold paint?"

Rachel grinned. "Because it's fun, and it's this event for donations to art programs."

Piper nodded. Rachel loved anything that had to do with art. A couple years ago, she went to a summer camp and came back painting like Picasso. "Oh, that's cool."

Rachel nodded. She grabbed her duffel bag that was by her feet and asked, "Hey, do you mind giving me a ride? My car was taken away by the tow truck."

If she was in Rachel's shoes, she would have had a panic attack. No, if she was in _Rachel's_ shoes, she would be taking a vacation with Jason somewhere in the Caribbean. Despite her dad being Tristan McLean and her mother head of the best fashion industry, her pride urged her to go independent. "Sure, I don't mind."

Rachel grinned and followed Piper to her convertible. It had a dent in the back and it was half covered in dirt. Rachel sighed. "Piper, why not get a new car or fix her up? I mean, you are a very rich person."

Piper shrugged as she turned on the engine. "I prefer the term 'lucky', and my parents are rich, not me." As much as she loved her dad, she was now an adult. No time to play games with money. Rachel put on her seat belt and turned up the radio. As Kesha's voice came on, Rachel grimaced and changed the station.

Piper laughed. "Hater, much?"

Rachel shook her head. "You know that I'm not much into pop music."

Stopping at a red light, Piper changed the station.

_This is an important message-_

Rachel leaned forward and changed it again. "Is anything good on?"

_A huge snow storm will be hitting New York City for the Christmas holidays._

Piper frowned and Rachel cheered. "Yeah! No work for me tomorrow."

Piper laughed. "You had work tomorrow?"

"Yep, we had to go over to Broadway and clear up the stage and set up basically everything. It's a lot of work, especially on Christmas Eve."

Piper turned left and realized she forgot she had to take Rachel home. _And I'm low on gas, great. _"Hey, Rachel, do you mind staying a while?" As soon as she spoke, her stomach growled.

Rachel raised an eyebrow. "Sure, I don't mind spending some quality time with you."

Piper smiled. Both girls got out the car and headed for Piper's apartment. "Do you hear yelling?"

Rachel nodded. "I do, actually."

Piper and Rachel walked up to the door. Piper slowly opened the door, not expecting Jason to be strangling the TV.

"Ah! Why won't it turn on?"

Percy stood to the side, his arms crossed. "I told you to not touch anything!"

Jason plugged and unplugged their flat screen three times. "It won't turn on!"

Percy finally noticed the girls and a look of panic crossed his face. "Piper! Rachel!"

Rachel laughed and closed the door. "What did Jason do?"

Jason quickly turned around and stared at Piper. "It was Percy!"

Percy gasped. "Traitor! And why are you painted gold?"

They started speaking at once, while Piper's headache just grew stronger and stronger. She closed her eyes and whistled. "Guys, stop. It's Christmas!"

Rachel nodded as she strolled over to the couch. "Forget the flat screen,"

Jason stared at her blankly. "We were in the middle of a very important game."

Piper shook her head and placed the bags under their Christmas tree. It was overly decorated. Too many ornaments were placed and the bright colors caused her to get dizzy. Yet, something about the chaotic colors mesmerized her. Jason said it was because of her eye colors.

"We were about to win, Rach!" Percy sat next to her and played with her curls.

Piper noticed Rachel's blush and almost smirked. _She has it hard. _Jason came up behind her and hugged her. "Pipes, what did you get me?" He leaned down and was about to peek through the bags when Piper smacked his arm. She could feel his muscles tense and grinned.

"Don't get on the naughty list." She winked at him and caused Percy to shout,

"Hey, you're not the only ones here!"

Jason and Piper blushed a deep red as Rachel started cracking up. "That was hilarious, Percy."

Percy frowned. "But I was serious,"

Piper ignored Percy and spoke over him. "Who wants Chinese?"

**Centered on Thalia Grace **

Around the same time as Hazel and Piper were at the mall,

Thalia was ready to puke. Her stomach kept doing cartwheels and it took all her willpower to not run towards the elevator. Annabeth dragged her to the top of the Empire State Building. With a height of exactly 1,250 feet up from the air, she wanted to crawl into a hole and cry. Annabeth looked over to her, a crazy grin on her face. She was leaning over the edge, staring at the view below her. Thalia made sure to stand five feet behind her.

"Annabeth, don't you think it's getting late?"

Annabeth turned around and rolled her eyes. Thalia wished her best friend would speak again.

"You know, from where we are standing, we are approximately – "

"1,250 feet, "Thalia replied, glaring at Leo. He decided to join them and convinced them by telling her he had a love for engineering. She knew he was lying, but the kid needed a break from working 24/7.

Leo smirked. "Aw, Thalia knows her facts."

Thalia snorted. "Thanks to Annabeth,"

Leo stayed quiet for a while. Thalia actually panicked, the guy was always flirting with her. What made him stop? "Why?"

Thalia wasn't sure if he spoke or not. His voice was so low she had to ask him to repeat himself. "Why doesn't she speak?" Leo asked again, glancing over at Annabeth who was happily looking through the telescope. Thalia stiffened. She was afraid to say that she didn't know. But that didn't mean that she had no idea why. Leo coughed. "Sorry, that was out of line."

She shook her head. _Why do I trust him? _"No, you need to know the story. Everyone except you knows. Well, probably."

Leo looked offended. "What?"

Thalia shushed him, glad to have a distraction from the height issue. "Whisper!" Leo nodded, his curly brown hair blowing in the wind. Thalia shivered and took a step back. "When Chiron met Annabeth, she was running away. Two years later, at the age of 12, she decided to contact him again. At first, she didn't race, she was afraid of driving."

"Seriously? That girl is a beast, though!" Cue glare. "Okay, I'm shutting up."

"At 13, she learned how to drive and a few months later she competed. She wasn't mute then. Suddenly, a week after her first competition in Los Angeles, she just stopped talking. She stayed like that until she turned 15, when she started dating Luke. After they broke up a year later, no wait, yes, never mind, I forget dates and stuff."

"Oh, yeah? When is your birthday?"

"Leo, shut up or I won't tell you."

Leo pouted. "Aw, okay, go on,"

Thalia took a deep breath, trying hard to keep the tears out of her eyes. She knew if she didn't speak, she would just burst into tears. Annabeth still hadn't paid attention to them. "When Luke died a month after they broke up, Annabeth was torn. She didn't even attend his funeral. She went mute again and has been for two years."

Leo stayed silent, noticing Thalia's façade breaking apart. Before he could comment, Annabeth turned around and walked towards them. She raised her eyebrows, just as Thalia blinked fast and rapidly spoke. "Heights, off, now,"

Leo understood the meaning behind her words and grinned. "Looks like we're leaving, now,"

Annabeth shrugged her shoulders, thinking it was because of Thalia's fear of heights. Thalia glanced at Leo and smiled. _Thanks, Leo. _Leo nodded in return and walked ahead of her. Thalia stood there a little longer, fingering the necklace around her neck.

May 2008 _three months before Luke's death_

"LUKE CASTELLAN!" I ran after Luke around Jake's shop, fearing for my life as I hopped over pieces of scrap here and there. Luke just laughed and ran faster. Honestly, I felt very out of shape.

I slowed down and leaned against the wall, catching my breath. Luke doubled back and stopped in front of me. I glared at him.

"Aw, come on Thals, one more lap!"

"No,"

"Please?"

I looked into his eyes and almost melted. _Think about Annie. _"No,"

Luke smirked. "Race me or you won't get your present."

I stood up straight and crossed my arms. "What present?"

Luke laughed. "I knew that would get your attention!"

I huffed. "LUKE!" Luke raised his arms and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. I pushed him off. "Fine, be a jerk."

I walked away and heard his groan. "Thalia, come back!"

I stopped. "Not until you give me my present."

"Childish much?"

I turned around and glared at him.

"Okay, fine! Follow me." He winked at me and I followed him into his car.

December 23, 2010 (back to the present)

Thalia blinked back tears and walked into the elevator, wanting to be anywhere but there. As the elevator headed downstairs, she thought about her father. She knew she had to stay away from him, he wasn't a good man. The tabloids may make up lies and stupid propaganda slogans such as, 'IF LIFE GIVES YOU FRUIT, BUY AN OLYMPUS BLENDER FOR THOSE SHAKES'. Honestly, who came up with those lame things? And to make things worse, her dad was shown with a fake family, preparing some type of fruit shake.

Then, she remembered her mom, who was too drunk to pay her or her brother attention. She had few memories of her brother, but she would never forget his name, Jason.

_Just like the hero…_

"Thalia! We thought we lost you or something." Leo's voice shook her out of her thoughts as the elevator doors opened.

Annabeth slightly glared at her and pulled out her cell phone. Thalia almost laughed at the irony of her phone. Only used for texting, of course. "I'm here now and hungry. Chinese?"

Leo nodded. "Yeah, why not, right?" They looked towards Annabeth who nodded a yes. Thalia half-expected a real yes, like speaking and all that. Leo noticed her discomfort and grinned. "Come on, before they close!"

**Centered on Percy (about one hour later… and whatever is underlined is Annabeth communicating).**

"But no garlic, on anything, please," He smiled at the Chinese lady behind the counter. She blushed and quickly nodded.

_Why does everyone blush? _

He looked around the small restaurant with only four tables and one bathroom. The walls were all mirror filled making him feel a bit insecure. He was sitting down, facing the counter, when someone walked in. Not caring who it was, he took out his phone and started playing Angry Birds.

"Crap, I missed again!" He heard someone snort and looked up. He almost fainted at the sight before him. The Blonde girl named Annabelle was leaning against the counter, with a menu in front of her and some options looked to be circled. Percy wasn't sure if he should try talking to her, but he was curious about her for some unknown reason. He took a deep breath and walked up to her.

"Hey, Annabelle, right?" _Great way to start!_

Annabelle glanced at him and rolled her eyes.

_Ouch, but she didn't blush! _"Um, sorry?"

She shook her head and sat down as the previous lady grabbed her menu, apparently used to the type of ordering. Percy stood there for a whole minute, not sure of what to do. He felt a bit angry, and remembered Rachel's words.

"_Come on, some people are just rude." Some, but maybe not her…_

He finally decided to sit across from her. She glanced at him and went back to her phone. The Angry Birds tune started playing. "Um, you know, I'm on level 10."

Cue eye roll.

"Please, as if you're any better."

She finally looked up at him and her eyes appeared to say: oh, yeah? She rose up her phone to his eye level and he whistled. "Wow, level 25."

She smirked and continued playing. _She has pretty eyes. They remind me of someone. _

Cue awkward silence.

"So, um, want to be my Game-Center friend or something?"

Annabelle stopped playing and looked at with a: 'who the hell do you think you are?' face.

Percy's eyes widened. "No, I'm not a creep or anything, just ask my mom!" Annabelle started cracking up and wiped tears from her eyes. Percy hoped that was a good sign. "I am a good person, I promise you."

Annabelle smiled and shook her head. She grabbed a napkin and took out a pen. "Hey, what are you doing?" She grinned and passed him the napkin.

What is your name?

"Um, do I write it or say it?"

She rolled her eyes and made an exasperated sigh. "Okay, I'll say it then."

Three seconds later…

"Oh! My name is Percy. Percy Jackson."

Nice to meet you, Percy.

"Aw, I can't know your name?" Even though he already knew her name he didn't want to seem like a creep.

Ha-ha, no, who knows, you might be a creep.

"I'm not!"

Sure, Percy, whatever floats your boat.

"Sir, here is your order and this one is for the miss." A different person set down their order and started to clean the other tables.

"So, I guess this is goodbye?"

Annabelle smiled as they stood up. She nodded at him and walked out, two bags in her hand. Her blonde curls bounced behind her and he wished she would come back in. Something about her intrigued him a lot. Just as he was picking up his things, he noticed the napkin on the table, half-crumpled. He picked it up and smiled.

Annabeth, my name is Annabeth.

**AN: FINALLY. Percabeth meets… and see you next week!**

**Feel free to review, follow, favorite, etc. **

**~StephLopez**

**Disclaimer: All rights to Rick Riordan. **


	5. Traffic and Ice

Red Ferrari

Chapter 5: Traffic and Ice

_I've got to get home - Oh, baby, you'll freeze out there_

_Say, lend me your coat - It's up to your knees out there_

_You've really been grand - Thrill when you touch my hand_

_Why don't you see - How can you do this thing to me?_

_Frank Loesser, Baby It's Cold Outside_

**Centered on Annabeth**

December 23, 2010, after the Chinese Place

_Why is my stomach having a butterfly fit? _Annabeth asked herself this question over and over again as she walked towards her car. She tried to stop the smile from forming on her face but as she sat down in her Camaro, she made the mistake of looking at the rearview mirror. A big, fat smile was on her face, betraying her thoughts. _Why am I so stupid? _She couldn't believe that she actually talked to that guy named Percy back at the restaurant. _And a Roman no less._ For some reason, he caused her to feel nice and warm inside. _Oh, no, this is how Helen must have felt for Troy. _She leaned her forehead against the wheel and sighed.

THUMP, THUMP.

Annabeth sat up too fast and knocked over her food. She gasped and immediately picked up the tea she ordered for Thalia. _Oh, crap! _She heard someone else curse outside and turned her head ready to drive over the intruder. A set of green eyes met her gaze and she softened her glare. _Percy? _It was indeed Percy and a part of her wanted to slap him and the other part wanted to kiss him. She wanted to slap herself for these unwanted feelings over him, especially being caused by his eyes.

Percy sheepishly smiled and waved. She rolled down the window and realized it was a mistake. Icy cold wind hit her immediately. _Oh, it's very cold. _

"Sorry about that," Percy said.

_At least he is sorry…_

"Um," He looked around nervously and Annabeth couldn't help but notice he looked very handsome in the sunlight. "I sort of forgot to get gas for my friend's car and now I have no way to get home. I also have no money left or train or bus tickets."

Annabeth sighed and nodded over to her right side. _Why am I even helping him? He might be a creep! But he does not act or look like one…_

Annabeth adjusted her bags in the back seat as Percy walked around the car to the shot gun seat. She unlocked the doors for him and half-expected him to shoot her with a tranq dart or something like that.

Instead, Percy got in and awkwardly coughed. She waited for him to ask: _do you speak? _Instead he asked something different.

"So, your name is not Annabelle?"

Annabeth shook her head. _Oh, gosh, NO!_

"Oh, I thought it was Annabelle."

She froze. _He knew my name? Well sort of?_

Percy widened his eyes. "I mean, from Pizza Hut! I heard your name and I thought it was Annabelle." Annabeth nodded and felt a bit queasy. She turned the GPS towards him and thank goodness he got the message. He inserted his address and she nodded. As she un-parked the car, she noticed Percy hold on tight to the handle on the door.

She smirked and he noticed her looking. "Oh, I don't like driving or cars in general."

_Aren't you a Roman? _Instead of obviously addressing the issue by actually speaking, she turned on the radio.

From the radio: _Severe weather conditions are being reported. A snow storm is to be nearing the East Coast tonight._

"Tough weather,"

_Duh, hence severe weather conditions._

"You race, right?"

She nodded as they stopped at a red light.

Cue awkward silence. _Oh, how much longer of this torture?_

"Um, Annabeth, it's green."

_Oops. _Cars started to honk at them and Annabeth advanced. She glanced at Percy who appeared to be dreading the ride. The radio started playing some Christmas classics and she hummed along. Percy actually started to sing.

_**Santa Claus is coming to townnnnnnnn**_

Annabeth resisted the urge to tell him he was two beats off and three words behind. Well, write something, not actually talk. _Percy, just stop. _He started off low then got louder.

_**He sees you when you're sleeeeeping. He knows when you're awake. **_

Annabeth turned right and realized that the GPS shut down. She double-parked in an alley and tried to ignore Percy's solo as she reset the GPS. She glanced at him and saw him with a smile on his face as he played Angry Birds. She glanced at her reflection and was surprised to see a genuine smile.

_**You better watch out, you better not cry**_

_**You better not pout, I'm telling you whyyyyyyyyy**_

_Percy, please shut up._

He lowered the volume, noticing the situation at hand. "I'll insert my address again." While he did that, Annabeth looked around. Snow had started to fall and her weather app read 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Percy handed her back the GPS and before she could start driving, his phone rang.

"Oh, it's Red." He put it on speaker.

_Red? _

"Hey, Rachel."

"_Percy! Where are you?"_

"Uh, I'm almost there… about…"

Annabeth held up ten fingers and got back to the wheel. "Ten minutes,"

"_Well, hurry up. Wait, no you're driving – "_

Her voice was cut off by someone else. _"Dude! Be careful, drive slow, and don't kill the trashcans!"_

Annabeth chuckled and noticed Percy's glare at his phone.

"Hey! I'm going to eat your food, you know."

"_Ugh, please do. I can't stand his breath smelling like overcooked shrimp."_

Annabeth felt as if the voice belonged to someone she heard on TV.

"_Just hurry, Percy. Be careful. A storm is to be said to be nearing the East Coast."_

"Yeah, don't worry, Red. We'll be careful, bye!"

"_Wait – we?"_

Percy hanged up and looked over at Annabeth who was hitting the GPS. "Hey, what did it do to you?"

She looked back at the road and groaned. POLICE LINE, DO NOT CROSS. Percy sighed as he looked to the back. Cars were already lining up and the road only had the option to turn left. Annabeth turned left and encountered a lot of traffic. _Oh, no, not today. Please, not today._

She heard Percy say something about her phone, so she glanced at it. 31 messages and 1 phone call. She noticed an officer a couple blocks away and decided to not risk it. She handed her phone to Percy and he just stared at it.

"Um, you have a lot of messages from three people."

She nodded and thank goodness that he got the message. "Oh! Okay, no texting and driving got it."

"Okay, so Thalia repeatedly asked 'where r u' and a couple of curses. Leo also asked the same thing with minor curses and Chiron? Yeah, Chiron said he will call the police if you don't answer back by 7. It's 6:50."

So far, Annabeth only moved about a foot. The traffic was too intense. She took her phone away from him and quickly replied. Percy shook his head, a small smile on his face. _Stop looking cute_. "Do not text and drive."

She glanced at him and rolled her eyes. _Percy, we are stuck here. I cannot drive anywhere so that rule does not apply at this instant._

Percy tightened his sweatshirt and asked, "Is the heater on?" She nodded and turned it up even more. Cars kept honking and she wondered how much longer they would need to stay there for. She started to tap her fingers against the wheel in a rhythm, humming to some song she couldn't place a name on.

"Oh, you like Taylor Swift?"

Annabeth almost did not hear him. He repeated himself.

_Oh, it was one of her songs?_

She did a yes and no nod. Percy's stomach growled. "I am very hungry."

_Oh, the Chinese food! _

As if reading her thoughts, Percy pulled out his food from his bag and asked, "Chicken or rice?"

**Centered on Nico**

December 23, 2010 while Percy and Annabeth are stuck in traffic

Nico felt like puking. His stomach was doing somersaults and it was NOT fun. He wanted nothing more than to just go back to his sweet apartment. But of course, Will had to just drag him to the Rockefeller Center. He was glad he was finally out of school (senior year) and enjoyed spending time with his friends, but sometimes he just wanted to be ALONE. He didn't care if he was out in the dessert or in the middle of the woods, just as long as he was alone when he wanted to be. _Oh, please, someone save me._

Will laughed as Nico fell once again on the ice. His cheeks turned a nice shade of red and his eyes showed anger. "Will, let's just get out of here. I am tired of falling!"

Will smirked and sipped his hot cocoa. He was (as always) a natural at anything related to sports, including ice skating. "Nah, your cousin said she needed you to be socializing." Nico frowned and stood up. He looked around and noticed other skaters, most holding hands with someone else.

Will gave him a pat on the back and said, "Well, if you want to leave so badly, go ahead."

Nico looked at him with his eyebrows raised up. "Seriously?"

Will shrugged his shoulders. "I'm just worried who would take you home. You don't have your license yet."

Nico crossed his arms (ready to say he _can _drive) and regretted it. He immediately lost balance and fell. Will started to laugh, causing Nico to grumble and angrily stand up. "That's it, I'm leaving."

Will continued to laugh and watched as Nico very slowly made his way to the other side of the ice rink. In four long strides he reached him. "Aw, come on, Nickie, don't be such a wuss." Nico stopped. _What did he just call me?_

"I. Am. Not. A. Wuss!"

Will smirked. "Then, stay."

Before Nico could comment or even punch Will, he heard his name being called.

"Nico!" He looked around and spotted a teenage girl with frizzy brown hair. He smiled. Hazel walked up to them and hugged Nico. Her older brother returned the hug, momentarily forgetting about Will.

Will awkwardly coughed and Nico realized he was still there. He pushed his younger half-sister away and introduced them.

"Will, this is my sister, Hazel Levesque."

Will smiled a pearly white smile and shook hands with Hazel. "Nice to meet you, Miss Levesque,"

Hazel blushed and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, too, Will."

Will winked at her, Nico rolled his eyes, and Hazel blushed again. "Don't flirt with my sister, Solace."

"All right, Di Angelo."

Hazel turned to face Nico. "Father said he wants you to be home for Christmas." Nico grimaced and inwardly screamed. His father kept asking for him to come home for the holidays, but he did not want anything to do with the man who killed his mother. Or was responsible for it.

Hazel pleaded with him using her big, golden eyes. He felt himself wanting to say yes. Instead Will answered for him. "Nico would love to be there."

Nico looked shocked. "I will?"

Hazel smiled and hugged him tight. "Please, Nico, please!"

Nico sighed. "Fine, for you Hazel."

Will smirked and watched as the two siblings hug each other. "I thought you were a no people person, Nico."

"Shut up, Solace."

**Centered on Reyna**

Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano sighed as she stretched her arms above her head. Her heart stopped pounding so loudly during this resting time. She looked up at the sky and noticed how many stars appeared. Moving to the West Coast allowed her to have an amazing view each night. She was just done with her small jog. Without being conscious of what she was doing, she calculated the time in New York.

_Okay, so if it is four o'clock here… then it is around seven o'clock in New York._

She shook her head and jogged back to her beach house. As she walked in, she smelled her favorite flower, which was coincidentally the way she felt that her daughter smelled like. Her grin stretched from ear to ear as her eyes settled on her little girl, Esperanza Avila Ramírez-Arellano. She had the same smile as Leo, but inherited Reyna's hair. Esperanza was sleeping in her crib. Reyna's close friend, Gwendolyn, a.k.a. Gwen, was reading a book, her legs perched up on the coffee table. Both the baby and Gwen did not hear Reyna come in.

She quietly made her way to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water. Her footsteps were silent and quick, something she learned to do because of her childhood experience. Unknown to Reyna, Gwen heard someone opening a cupboard in the kitchen. She jumped up and grabbing her book, head over to the kitchen.

Reyna was too deep in her thoughts about paying the bills, that she did not expect Gwen to throw the book at her. "Ow!"

Gwen covered her face and muttered, "Sorry, Reyna!"

Reyna massaged her elbow and glared at Gwen. "Shh! Don't wake up, Esperanza."

Gwen rapidly nodded and said, "She just fell asleep."

"Thank you, Gwen. You may go home now." Gwen nodded her thanks at Reyna and packed up her stuff. She was just 16 and babysat Esperanza for two hours every other afternoon, in which Reyna went to pay bills, buy groceries, go for a jog, or some extra time at work. Reyna trusted Gwen enough for her to take care of her little girl for 120 minutes.

Her muscles ached to be massaged and she sighed in relief as her breathing returned to normal. Reyna was not an inactive person. She used to exercise four times a week, but during and after her pregnancy, her body refused to maintain its healthy state. Of course, she understood why. As she picked up Esperanza, her thoughts drifted to Leo.

_Oh, Leo, I am so sorry…_

She blinked back tears, but they refused to leave as her eyes settled on a picture. It was of her holding her baby girl, her smile _looked _real, but her eyes betrayed her true feelings of anger. Next to her, was a young man with silky blonde hair and pale blue eyes was holding her left hand up, entwined with his left hand, a ring on their fourth finger.

She glared at the picture, wishing her "husband" would just disappear already. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the front door open and close. She closed her eyes and hugged Esperanza tighter.

"I'm home, Reyna!"

She bit her bottom lip and forced a smile. "I'm over here, Octavian."

**Hello! So, I thought yesterday was Sunday and I realized that today is Tuesday, so yesterday was Monday not Sunday. I am so sorry for not updating yesterday, but I will update Friday. Now about the story… FINALLY SOME PERCABETH! And I need your opinion on Will/Nico or not. And… Yes, Reyna is with Octavian *shudders*. There is a story behind that as well as the Nico and Hades relationship. Percabeth will become more flufflier in about five chapters. Annabeth's past is complicated and I am going to stop writing because I do not want to spoil anything.**

**Feel free to review, follow, favorite, etc.**

**~StephLopez**

**Disclaimer: All rights to Rick Riordan.**


	6. Story Time

Red Ferrari

**To: CatsRcute: thanks for reviewing! And here is the chapter… *cue drum roll***

Chapter 6: Story Time

_Cause we're young and reckless_

_We'll take this way too far_

_It'll leave you breathless_

_Or with a nasty scar_

_Taylor Swift, Blank Space_

**Centered on Percy**

Percy had no idea what he was doing. This girl made him feel different, made him feel something else. It was something that Rachel did not even make him feel like. He kept thinking about her voice. How Annabeth would sound like if she spoke. Of course, he wouldn't pressure her. It was something that needed time. He understood that.

"Okay, so what about hip-hop?"

Annabeth started to laugh, her curls shaking. They decided to eat while the traffic sort of improved. Several drivers started to give up on the honking. Some were napping. She grabbed their napkin and wrote,

Oh, no, I cannot rap for my life.

"What? Seriously? You look like the type."

Ha-ha, very funny.

Percy laughed. "Nah, I am just kidding. But seriously, what type of music do you like?"

She ate a spoonful of rice and then smiled. I like classical music.

Percy raised an eyebrow as he took a bite of his noodles. "Really? My mom loves classical music, too. You should meet her, she'll love you."

Annabeth's cheeks turned pink and she sheepishly smiled. Percy coughed and started to pick up his garbage. His friends' orders were already cold, but oh well. They could always reheat them.

"So, how is Christmas for you?"

Well, it's nothing special, if that's what you're asking.

"What? Seriously?"

She nodded, a sad look quickly crossing her face. HONK. She turned on the car and moved a couple feet forward. Yeah, I did not have the best childhood.

"I can relate." A couple of beats of silence passed until she poked his arm. He looked down and realized his tattoo was peeking out. He had taken off his coat a couple feet away.

"Oh, it's a trident." _Huge coincidence._

What does it symbolize?

Percy shifted in his seat. He just met Annabeth, but he knew he could trust her. So, he took a deep breath and started his story.

July 2007

I glanced down the school hallway and saw Rachel leaning against my locker. I inwardly groaned, not wanting to talk to my crush (since middle school, by the way). She and I had become good friends, but I wasn't sure if her feelings were the same as mine.

"Hey, Percy!" Oops, too late to back down now. I forced a smile and walked up to her. Her friends started giggling and waved goodbye. I shifted uncomfortably as girls kept waving at me as I walked down the hallway. Rachel took a step back so I could open my locker.

"Hey, Red,"

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Ugh, everyone calls me that."

I feigned a look of hurt. "So, I am 'everyone' now? No longer 'Percy my best friend'?"

Rachel grinned. "Of course, not, Percy, you'll always be my friend."

I am not lying when I say that my heart raced faster than a Lamborghini. "What are you doing after school?"

She wrinkled her nose and said, "Dad wants me to eat dinner with him tonight, somewhere in Italy."

I raised my eyebrows. "Italy, huh?"

Rachel's eyes looked down. "Percy, you know you are always invited."

I shook my head as I closed my locker. "Thanks, Red, but you know I am – "

"Happy in New York, I know."

I grinned at her. "Nice to know you know me so well."

Rachel laughed and hugged me. "Bye, Percy, have a good weekend."

I hugged her back and nodded. "Same to you, Red,"

She smiled and walked away, leaving to walk the opposite way. Several people were now also leaving. As soon as I reached the exit, I heard her yell, "Don't do anything stupid!"

"I promise nothing!"

_Line Break_

"You sure 'bout this, kid?"

I nodded, biting my lower lip as the needle reached closer to my arm. I heard Travis puke on the other side of the room. Connor came over and smirked.

"Damn, Perce, you're my idol."

Jason glanced down and turned around. "I cannot believe you're seriously doing this."

The tattoo artist, Lou Ellen, shook her head. "Stop talking!"

"Sorry," I muttered as I watched the needle sink into my arm. The pain was horrible. Imagine jumping into a pit of boiling acid. Now multiply that pain times fifty.

Lou smirked. "You're doing well, kid,"

Travis came back, his face pale. "Isn't this illegal or something?"

Lou glanced up at him. "I wouldn't talk if I were you," She stopped and looked at Jason. "Your father would not be happy, Jason Grace."

Connor and Travis froze. I looked at her and Jason crossed his arms. "How much do you want?"

Lou smirked. She got back to work. "Just tell your father's secretary that I need some more magic for my business."

I could suddenly think of about three million places I'd rather be at.

Jason scowled. "Fine,"

Lou chuckled and leaned back. "Just because I like it, I won't charge a dime."

I was too nervous to look at it. The Stolls whistled. "Damn, Percy, girls will bow down to you."

Jason laughed. "Don't let Rachel hear that,"

While they made their jokes, I tuned them out and studied Lou's masterpiece. It was pretty wicked. The Trident curled around my arm, my mom's name inscribed in cursive around one hook. The other was plain black. They were lines coming out of it, as if it was coming to life. I almost touched it, but Lou slapped my hand away.

"Hey! Not yet, kid. Wait a while." She told me the precautions and I made sure to write them down.

Jason clapped my shoulder. "My turn,"

Back to the traffic…

Annabeth raised her eyebrows. Whoa, Jackson, you have more courage than I thought.

Percy winked at her. "There's more where that comes from."

Neither spoke, then as if on cue, they started cracking up. Oh, Percy,

"What about you, huh? Any dark secret?"

Annabeth smiled and drove a couple feet forward. She took out her phone and started typing.

**Centered on Annabeth**

July 2005

I stared eyes wide open at the car in front of me. It was a _1989 Chevrolet Camaro. _It looked huge to me. Its color was sleek black, with wheels to make anyone jealous. Despite my lack of knowledge of cars, I knew it was tuned up. Chiron laughed and dangled the keys in front of me.

"I think it is time for you to learn how to drive."

I stared at him. "Are you kidding? I am just 13!"

Chiron rubbed his chin. "Yes, I suppose you are right, but you'll be 14 in few days' time."

I shook my head. "I do not like to drive."

He laughed. "Nonsense, you haven't even tried." I turned away so he couldn't see my blush. "Oh, Annabeth, when did you do it?"

I lowered my head in shame. Chiron was able to read me ten times better than my own parents. "Last year I tried to drive but I couldn't! I was too scared."

He grabbed my hands and placed the key in them. ""If you don't learn how to face your fears, you'll never really learn how to live."

I stared at his ancient eyes, wondering how much wisdom was in his brain. "Okay, I will try."

He clapped his hands. "Great! Now, come on, get in."

I took a deep breath and nodded. As soon as I stepped in the driver seat, I felt too small, as if I was a tiny human in a giant cupboard. I made sure the car was in first gear, then pushed down the clutch as Chiron instructed. It purred to life. Chiron laughed and before he could give me more instructions, Jake came up to us. He waved at me and whispered something to Chiron. His face turned serious and he gave me an apologetic smile.

"I guess today is not the day, Annabeth."

I felt disappointed. "Oh,"

"Tomorrow we'll try again, do not worry." I nodded and he left, leaving me inside the car. I don't know what came over me, but I adjusted my seat, and as if by habit, turned the ignition key. Just as the car started, I released the clutch. I simultaneously pressed the gas pedal, as I've seen Chiron do the other day.

I let out a breath of relief knowing the car didn't explode. I was very, very much afraid. I slowly turned to the right, leaving the garage into the empty road. I didn't realize I was smiling until I looked at the rearview mirror.

I accelerated and drove for about half a mile until I realized three things. 1: I wasn't sure how to stop it. 2: I had no idea where I was. 3: A cop was nearby, his car's lights blinking rapidly.

"Oh, shoot," I muttered to myself feeling very stupid. I freaked and stepped on what I think were the brakes. I heard the engine hiss as if being angry and immediately turned the ignition off. I let out a breath of relief. While I was enjoying my small victory, I did not notice the cop pulling up beside me. I froze as I heard the words,

"Miss, I need to see your license and registration."

I looked up and read the name on her badge. "Officer Nemesis, how are you on this fine day?"

I tried to smile but I failed. She looked down at me. "Identification,"

I nervously chuckled and in three second started the ignition. I placed the clutch forward and sped out of the way, making a U-turn back on what I believed was the correct way to the shop. I heard her yell and run back to her car. I was well ahead of her. I felt the adrenaline coursing through my body and started to laugh. The wind slammed on my face, for the window was down.

I heard the sirens coming closer and saw a turn coming ahead. Feeling some memories coming back from Chiron's driving and watching old 80s movies, on instinct I switched to second gear and pushed the clutch. While simultaneously steering the wheel to the right, I pulled the hand brake. I immediately put some pressure on the gas pedal, let out the clutch, and steered the car while using the throttle to control the angle of the drift.

I turned the wheel back straight and heard the cop place the brakes and a crash followed. I should have felt bad, guilty, but instead all I felt was pride.

_For a 13-year old, I am such a badass._

Jake's shop came into view as I slowed down, realizing that I lost the cop. I slowed the car down enough to press on the brakes and turned it off. Jake came rushing out. He walked up to my car and glared at me. "Where were you?"

I got out and tossed the keys to Chiron as he stepped into view. "Guess what? I can drive!"

He stared at me, a look of wonder in his eyes. "Jake, call the Bloody Greeks."

Back to traffic… again

"No way!" Percy finished reading and started to laugh. "I don't believe this, at all."

Annabeth shrugged her shoulders. It's true!

"Wow, Annabeth, you're something else."

Annabeth blushed and put on her seat belt again as the traffic dispersed. She grabbed her GPS and set it to Percy's address again. He smiled and grabbed her phone. Annabeth started to drive forward, enjoying the silence between them. She felt her stomach do non-stop somersaults and wondered if Percy felt the same. She felt compelled to _say _something - anything – but she couldn't.

A couple minutes later, they arrived at Piper's apartment. She looked at the time and was surprised to see it was almost midnight. Percy grabbed his things and looked at her. _Oh, those eyes,_

Percy smiled and said, "Thanks, Annabeth,"

She nodded and watched as he walked up to the door. Before she could drive away, she saw a red-head open the door and crush him with a hug. Before thinking too much about it, she drove away, her thoughts of Percy floating away with the wind.

**Happy Valentine's Day! If it still is because you know, time zones and all that. So, this was an all Percabeth short chapter. I hope the driving part was okay because 1. I am not old enough to drive (I do know how though). 2. I only know how to drive an automatic car not a manual with a clutch and a stick. And yeah, I hope you guys enjoyed this short chapter! The next one will be twice as long and more detailed of those cliffhangers I left on the previous chapter.**

**Feel free to review, follow, favorite, etc.**

**~StephLopez**

**Disclaimer: All rights to Rick Riordan.**


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